This card outlines a series of three activities designed to develop academic and technical writing skills in students taking a Senior Design/Capstone engineering course. The activities leverage Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM) components — curiosity and connections — to foster self-awareness, meta-cognition, and mastery of academic communication. Students will practice critical reading, engage in structured peer review, and refine their writing through multiple iterations. The final activity involves writing a research report or technical paper, bridging their design experience with academic communication standards.

Background

In engineering, Senior Design or Capstone courses usually focus on the technical aspects of projects but can easily overlook the critical skills of technical writing in an academic setting. Many students struggle with articulating their design rationale, synthesizing research, or writing for diverse audiences. By embedding writing-focused activities into the curriculum, students can enhance their communication skills. These activities align with ABET's emphasis on communication and critical thinking, preparing students for rewarding careers in both industry and academia.

More Context:

This card is ideal for senior design courses where students are expected to produce a comprehensive final report or present their work at conferences. Three activities can be integrated throughout the semester:

• Critical Reading & Annotation: Introduced early in the semester to build curiosity and connections with the literature.
• Peer-Review Activity: Mid-semester activity emphasizing connections, self-awareness, and critical analysis of peers’ writing.
• Research Paper: Late-semester activity focusing on refining writing and fostering meta-cognition.

These activities require little additional class time and can be scaled based on the course enrollment.